Digitalization as a Meta-Capability: Integrating Theoretical Perspectives to Enhance Supply Chain Performance and Production Quality

Abstract

Over the past decade, firms in manufacturing and other sectors have invested heavily in digital technologies to improve supply-chain performance and production quality. Yet empirical evidence shows that similar digital tools often lead to uneven gains in efficiency, agility, and quality, indicating that technology alone does not guarantee better outcomes. These mixed results highlight the need for integrative frameworks that explain when and how digitalization actually translates into superior operational and quality performance. Digital transformation is redefining how organizations design, produce, and manage performance. Yet its benefits often differ widely across firms. This paper develops a conceptual framework that explains digitalization as an organizational meta-capability, integrating technological resources, adaptive processes, and information use. Drawing on the Resource-Based View (RBV) and the Dynamic Capabilities Theory (DCT), the study argues that digitalization enhances performance through learning, coordination, and strategic alignment rather than technology alone. The model highlights five key outcomes of digital transformation within supply chains: cost efficiency, agility, quality, sustainability, and collaboration. By linking these dimensions to core theoretical foundations, the paper provides a holistic understanding of how digitalization creates lasting value. The discussion also offers managerial insights on how firms can leverage digital capabilities to achieve both operational excellence and long-term resilience in rapidly changing environments.

Keywords: Digitalization, Meta-capability, Supply chain performance, Production quality, Resource-Based View (RBV), Dynamic Capabilities Theory (DCT)

DOI: 10.7176/JRDM/96-04

Publication date: November 30^th 2025